


Pink Lemonade

by universecharm



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking, Eventual Romance, F/M, Multi, Recreational Drug Use, Sleepovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-26
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-02-07 01:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12830265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/universecharm/pseuds/universecharm
Summary: In the blinding strobelights of a college party, Poppy doesn't think a thing is wrong with her world. In the morning sunshine of Branch's bedroom, the world comes crashing back down. Now it's time for her to put the pieces back the way they should be.





	1. White Night

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFinooNUmK4  
> the song i listened to while writing this

Branch didn’t want to be at this party at all. More than anything, actually, he wanted to be back at home, asleep, in the quiet comfort of his dark bedroom where he could relax and write. The music here was too loud, it was somehow too dark and too bright all at the same time, everyone was getting drunk on cheap box wine and bad beer, there was a thin layer of smoke from only God knows what hanging in the air, and everything had a thin layer of grime and glitter coating it. Why was he even there?

It was Poppy’s idea, of course. Both the party, and him coming to said party. It was Halloween, after all, and he could come in costume, so nobody pointed him out. He had said that he wouldn’t go at all, not on Halloween, he had said he still hated parties and that he didn’t want to go at all. But he had lied, and alas, he was there.

He could leave when Creek showed up. Creek was the one who was supposed to be doing this, keeping his _girlfriend_ from going overboard at a party like last time. She had woke up at 4 pm the next day, covered in bruises and scrapes from falling and stumbling while dancing drunk, a bad bruise on her face from walking into a wall, her lips bruised and stained with lipstick that she didn’t own. She was happiest like that, though. Roughed up after a wild night, scars and bruises as reminders of things she can’t quite remember. Glitter in her hair, dirt under her nails, and bags under her warm brown eyes.

Branch sat on the floor against a wall, his face discretely hidden under a black mask and anything else hidden under a fake tuxedo he got in the clearance bin at party city, tattered and stained with black hairspray from his cheap Tuxedo Mask costume setup and now body paint and glow stick fluid from the drunk and high partygoers bumping into him from time to time. It wasn’t anyone’s fault he wasn’t having fun. Parties and Branch just don’t mix. They just don’t! But Poppy and alcohol don’t mix either, and it was his job to keep his… it was his job to keep his friends safe. That’s what Branch kept telling himself, watching her dance through the holes in his mask.

She looked like a princess in the low orange light, the layer of glitter coating what seemed to be her whole body making her shimmer and sparkle like the ocean at sunset. Her long hair was resting around her shoulders, wild and messy, the vibrant magenta vividly showing against the violet of her crop top and the shimmering green of her leggings. Of course she would be dressed as a Disney princess, she’s Poppy.

Pretty much everyone was barefoot by now, dancing to the pounding bass of the music, glitter from peoples costumes littering the floor like sand in a beach house.  Suki, dressed as Merida, because of course their gang had matching costumes, ran up and pulled Poppy close, spinning her around and grinning. They looked so blissful together, the colors of a fire, it was magical. Then there was a new color, something wrong. Green and cyan and oh, god, Creek was here. Creek was here and his arms were on Poppy’s waist and he hated the sight of that, their lips mashing together and Suki had gone back up to the dj booth all of a sudden, and Poppy pulled away and wiped her mouth off on her shoulder when Creek looked away.

Branch’s head throbbed. He covered his face and sighed, the sigh turning into a groan. Thankfully he hadn’t been drinking _too_ much. Three beers totally aren’t _that_ many, right? Branch told himself that it wouldn’t matter, after every drink, that it would be okay, he was walking home after this next song. But as he sat down, the heavy feeling of the bottle in his hand seemed to be his only tether to the party happening around him. The world seemed to slip away from him, his exhaustion and vertigo catching up with him all at once. The walls tilted and the cool tile floors swung up to meet his overheated cheeks. He tugged at his shirt, chest feeling tight.

Once he gathered his thoughts and caught his breath, he shakily stood up and walked off, looking for a guest bedroom, or really anywhere to clear his cluttered mind for a bit. The first door he tried had some clearly private noises coming from the other side, so he moved on quickly.

He eventually found a small room where people tossed their bags and coats and sat on the bed, the bass from downstairs making the cords on the fan swing slightly. He took deep breaths and let the newfound sense of calm wash over him.

He wasn’t sure how long he stayed there, but people started coming back for their stuff. Only a few people showed up at a time, chatting. Nobody paid him any mind. He took off his mask and sighed. The paint from his hair was starting to stick to the sweat coating his hands and he cringed slightly.

A horrible sound hit his ears. He didn’t make the connection that it was speech at first, but then the figure standing in the doorway came into focus and he fought the urge to groan. “Branch..? Why’re you here?”

“Because I don’t have anything better to be doing on a Thursday night, Creek,” he said, trying and failing not to slur his words. Creek smiled slightly to himself, rubbing his eye with his shoulder. Why didn’t he use his hands for anything? Ugh.

Branch squinted and noticed the being in his arms, no, the _girl_ in his arms. Poppy, passed out, drooling, in his arms. He felt white hot panic shoot through him and he bolted up. Creek flinched slightly, his response delayed. “She sat down for a few minutes and fell asleep. Poor darling wore herself out, I think.”

Creeks hand brushed some of her hair away from her face and he stared at her, expression unreadable. Branch watched closely, as if he was about to pounce. Creek looked back up at him and he looked away from the pair. “I need to go home for the night; I’m not feeling too well and the rest of her friends already left for the night. Can you stay with her so she doesn’t wake up and do anything stupid like last time?”

Branch blinked and nodded slowly, dazed. Why was he just leaving Poppy here when she was in worse condition than him?

Creek walked over to him and laid Poppy down gently next to him on the bed, covering her up and smirking that ugly animalistic smirk of his. He waved at Branch apathetically and headed out, just like that. Gone. Opportunistic vulture.

Branch kept his word, of course. People kept coming in the room and getting their things and leaving. Poppy slowly drifted closer to Branch, eventually wrapping an arm around him. Branch’s face heated up, her body heat melting into him like chocolate on ice cream. He stared at her, her soft cheeks and thick eyelashes and the gentle layer of freckles splattering her cheeks. It was easy to see that she was beautiful. Gorgeous, really. She sighed in her sleep and it felt like there was something in Branch’s chest trying to claw its way up. Her lips looked so soft..

It hit Branch that this wasn’t their house, and it was likely that the owner of said house wouldn’t be too keen on letting two drunken teenagers sleep in their bed. He slowly picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist on impulse. Her face rested in the crook of his neck and he blushed as her lips brushed his shoulder blade.  

His apartment was only about a block down the road from this place, and it only took them a few minutes to get there with Poppy in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his shoulders. Poppy kept mumbling nonsensical phrases in her sleep, nuzzling into him and making his knees weak on occasion. She was an affectionate drunk when she wasn’t partying.

He got into his apartment fairly easily, setting her on the couch like she was a frail glass ornament that he didn’t want to shatter. She smiled in her sleep, taking his arm and pulling him close. Her eyes opened slightly, twinkling like stars. Branch let himself be led forward, dazzled by everything that she was, the faint smell of alcohol on her breath and the way her tongue traced her pink lips and oh, she kept pulling him closer and their lips met and Branch felt his heart _burst_ in that moment, head suddenly full of air and bubbles and God, Poppy’s hands were on his waist and on his chest and she was so warm and wonderful and her tongue brushed his bottom lip and _Branch had lost whatever this fight was_ as he kissed her like it was his dying wish, and she eventually pulled back and smiled that star-struck smile and everything else on earth was gone, it was just the two of them now and-

“Wow, Creek… You’re a better kisser than I remember...”

And she passed out again.

His heart reconstituted itself only to shatter into a million fragments just like that.

She thought she was kissing Creek. Of course. Well, at least she wouldn’t get mad at him for kissing her. But… Had she implied that he was a better kisser than Creek?

Branch smiled to himself and slowly got up, careful not to disturb her. He gave her a blanket and left a bottle of water and some painkillers by the couch for the morning. Tonight, it would be about small victories.


	2. If My Heart Was A House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfukjynBoyU  
> Chills run down my spine as our fingers intwine  
> And your sides harmonize with mine  
> Unmistakably I can still feel your heart  
> Beat fast when you dance with me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for changing the title of the fic i felt this one was more fitting if im adding onto it

The light was in her eyes and oh, how Poppy hated that, it felt like someone was shining a sun into her very skull from just an inch away. She covered her head up underneath the surprisingly soft blanket that surrounded her. The whole thing smelled like dollar store soap and distantly, the smell of food beckoned her awake, much against her body’s will. Every muscle in her screamed with pain as she stretched out and her hand brushed against something below her. She squinted and picked them up- a bottle of water and a plastic bag with a bottle of aspirin in it. Score! The girl downed some meds and chugged the water bottle, thankful she wasn’t usually nauseous when she got hungover. Padding dizzily at her wrist, she sighed when she felt her hair band still around it, pulling her mass of pink curls out of her eyes.

She looked around and realized she had… absolutely no idea where she was. Huh. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time for that. She stumbled off the couch, scanning the area. It was fairly neat, with some sketches pinned on the walls. Bookshelves lining one side with most of the books in disarray, clearly read often but with care. There was a half wall with an archway leading into a kitchen and oh, there was the source of the food smell. Someone was in there, bathed in sunlight from the open windows, looking like some sort of angel.  She stared in awe and wonder as he hummed quietly to himself, quickly working through the kitchen like he was born for it. Who was this guy? What happened the night before?

...Was it good? Cuz this guy seemed cute.

Then he moved out of the light and oh, she’d recognize that messy hair and tired look anywhere! She ran up and hugged him, much to his surprise as he screamed and jumped, accidentally dropping an egg that was in his hands. It landed with a splat on the tile. She cuddled into him lovingly and chirped, “Good morning, Branch!”

He rolled his eyes once the shock subsided, groaning to himself. “Well, you just made me drop your breakfast, and we’re both hungover, so I don’t really know how good of a morning it can be.”

Poppy smiled warmly and hummed, spinning him around. “What happened last night, by the way? It’s all kind of a blur for me, still. Did you come to my party?”

His cheeks warmed and he went back to his cooking. He shrugged. “Y…Yeah, I was there for a while. You got drunk and blacked out. Creek left right after you went under and made me take care of you, so I took you back to my place just in case.”

Poppy’s sunshiny composure splintered and she seemed distant. “Creek left…?”

Branch nodded. “He said he was tired and wanted to leave. Is that weird?”

She looked off, hopping up on the counter while Branch cleaned up the egg on the floor. “No…. just a little upsetting, I guess. He promised he would stay the whole night this time..”

Branch felt a twinge of anger in his stomach, burning like an ember. “I didn’t like how he just left like that, he didn’t even seem drunk to me. What kind of guy leaves his passed out girlfriend with a near stranger?”

Poppy frowned deeper, opening his cabinets and looking around in them. “Aww, I thought you and Creek were getting along okay, what happened?”

He shrugged as he cooked up the rest of the eggs, yawning. “I just get bad feelings from him ‘s all. And get out of my cabinets!”

“I’m looking for stuff to make us some muffins!” she called, not even looking back at him.

Branch rolled his eyes, but let her continue looking if only because she’d probably let him lick the bowl when she was done. “Flour’s in the fridge.”

She scoffed, walking over and pulling it out. “Who keeps flour in the fridge?”

“Uh, people who don’t wanna get sick? Leaving it out makes it grow bacteria, Poppy.”

“Whaaaat? That’s bullshit, I never put my flour in the fridge, you're paranoid,” she muttered as she pulled a bowl out and started measuring ingredients.

“Language, young lady,” Branch teased, shaking the spatula at her as she rummaged through his food supply.

“I can swear if I want to! I’m an adult, Branch! I’m older than you!”

“No, you aren’t. I’m 26, you’re 25. Remember?”

“No, that can’t be right; you were 25 the last time I checked!”

“Yeah, my birthday was a month and a half ago. September 23rd.”

Poppy gasped, completely scandalized by his words. “Are you telling me I _forgot your birthday_?!”

Branch shrugged, scraping the eggs onto a plate. “No, I made a point to avoid _telling_ you it was my birthday, because knowing you, you would try to throw a huge party that wound up just making me overwhelmed. No offence, I know you mean well.”

“Some taken, but you’re probably right. But now I have to do something for your birthday, just us and maybe the rest of he Snack Pack if you want.”

“You don’t have to do that. And why do you call your friends that? I've been meaning to ask for like, months,” he said, taking a bite out of his bananas.

“It’s what we named our first group chat, it’s iconic. You’re part of that now.”

“No, I am not.”

“Too late, I’m adding you in.”

He groaned loudly. Poppy’s eyes widened at the number of notifications she had. She cleared up with everyone that she was awake and alright, she texted her dad saying she was at Branch’s place doing some baking, told Biggie she would be free on Tuesday night for their ice cream meetup, and  texted Creek telling him good morning. Then she added Branch in and he stared at her as his phone started buzzing wildly.

“Yeah. Y’might wanna mute that for a while since everyone’s just waking up. It gets like that in the mornings.”

“I might just mute it all together out of spite,” he muttered, smiling in spite of himself.

“Braaaaaaanch!”

“Poppppyyyyy!”

She giggled and he rested his head in his hands as he watched her bake, the warmth that she emitted seeming to fill up the room more than the air itself was capable of. She was almost like an angel, but just a little bit less scary and a little more otherworldly. She was sunlight and starlight and everything in between, she was music and art and-

“Sorry if I did anything stupid last night. I’m weird when I’m drunk.”

Poppy swore she saw his cheeks go red but he turned around and shrugged. “You drooled on me a bit when I was carrying you back here.”

She grinned. “You _carried_ me all the way here?! Oh, Branch, that’s the sweetest thing!”

“What else was I supposed to do, call a cab to take you like, two streets down? Of course I carried you home,” he said as he took a bite of his eggs. “You want cheese on yours?”

“Yes, please, you’re a lifesaver. I actually owe you a life debt for all of this, really,” she said, grinning in honest gratitude as he poured some shredded cheese over her eggs. She took a fork and dug in, sighing happily. “GOD, I love your cooking. You should open a restaurant. I’d eat there for every meal.”

“You’d get sick of it eventually, y’know,” he smiled brightly and Poppy felt so safe around him, wow. He was like a security blanket.

“Impossible,” she said through a bite of eggs, “you’re the best cook alive! Hey, Creek’s boss runs a restaurant, you could always apply there!”

“Absolutely fucking not. That lady still terrifies me… She looks at me like I pissed in her cereal.”

Poppy choked on her eggs and burst into laughter, coughing while Branch patted her back. She snorted, still grinning at him. “That’s hilarious, God, I love you.”

He smiled back, warmth blooming like a flower in his chest. “Yeah, yeah, love you too. How aren't you still scared of her after the whole," he waved his fork around in a circle, "Fiasco."

“She never scared me to begin with. Can I use your shower, by the way? I’m kinda nasty from the party,” she said, pulling her dress out a little bit and looking at it in disgust.

“Yeah, you can wear some of my clothes too if you want, I’ve got some pants with a drawstring and a hoodie you could probably fit into, I’ll drop them off outside the bathroom.”

As she headed off she reconfirmed that she owed him a life debt and he smiled, thankful to have someone like her in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise on my life this wont become a group chat fic, but youll be seeing more of the snackpack (i keep almost typing snckpck hgod help me) and their relationships with branch and poppy, and also if youre a fan that personally wants to kill creek this might not be the fic for you cuz i do plan on fleshing him out as a character a bit into something other than an irredeemable selfish asshole. no worries, though, broppy's endgame i swear


	3. Learn To Let Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm always like  
> Telling everybody, "You don't gotta be a victim  
> Life ain't always fair, but hell is living in resentment  
> Choose redemption, your happy ending's up to you"

Poppy sat in the bottom of the shower, letting the steaming water bring the red back to her skin as the loose glitter and dirt fell away, along with a swirl of pink from her hair. She hummed to herself and rubbed her eyes, frowning at the thick layer of dark makeup that came off on her hands. She watched the symphony of colors fall down the drain and satisfaction washed over her. Now she could just be Poppy, instead of party Poppy.

It wasn’t healthy for her to feel like this; like she had to pretend to be different versions of herself around different people. With her friends, she always had to be the positive one, always had to be shining like a star and bouncing and moving. When she was with Creek she felt like she had to pretend to be more romantic than she felt she had the capacity for. It just… wasn’t her style to do all the things Creek wanted, and Creek didn’t often want to do the things she was interested in.

She mulled over this. He had left last night, going off to do who knows what. He had ditched her, drunk and passed out at a party filled with people he barely knew. It left a bad feeling in her chest and a bad taste in her mouth just to think about what might have happened if it hadn’t been for…

 _Branch_.

Branch was her friend. Arguably her best friend, though she would never say that out loud. But unarguably he was her closest friend, as he was the only one who she let herself feel upset around for more than a brief moment at a time. He had seen her sobbing, ripped apart from the inside, and he had seen her fully robed in happiness and bliss. She felt safe around him, knowing he wouldn’t ever hurt her. He made her bloom when she wilted, filled her with a secure feeling that she didn’t get from even her closest friends and family. Not even from Creek.

 _Creek_.

Creek was, in a word, fun. She felt at ease around him when they first started dating, in a bubbly love-drunk kind of way. But… He did have a habit of not answering texts for days at a time even if he read them, and when it came down to it he didn’t seem to really care about her as a girlfriend. He liked her, clearly, and enjoyed her company, but it felt so fabricated since the first month into their relationship. It felt more like a parasitic relationship now from Poppy’s perspective. She felt like a Barbie doll around him and he got to flaunt his shiny limited edition toy, the mayor’s daughter, Poppy Valentine, the girl who set the world ablaze. He got into fancy clubs and parties and she got a hollow, lost feeling when he ditched her halfway into them. But he did care. He had been her friend for years; he never forgot her birthday, or any holiday. He even got her gifts for little holidays, like national ice cream day ( _July 15 th, he took her to her favorite little ice cream parlor down on Sunlight Drive, got her the biggest sundae she had ever seen_) and maple syrup day ( _December 17 th, he took her to a maple tree farm and they tapped trees together and made their own syrup together_). He clearly loved her, just…

 He was always looking for ways to make up for a feeling of fiery passion that just wasn’t there.

Poppy watched as the last of the soap and dirt left her skin and spilled down the drain and she sighed to herself, looking around the bathroom. Everything smelled like Branch…

A nagging thought pushed at the back of her thoughts and as always, she shoved it away. But it kept coming back. That little voice in her head that kept telling her that she should break up with Creek before anyone gets hurt-

Should. November first –‘ national give up your shoulds day’. The day to take things you’ve been putting off and do them! Celebrated since 2008- clearly an important holiday. She turned the water off and stood up, getting dry and dressed. She had a plan to formulate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one's so short, i needed somewhere for poppy to get her thoughts dout of her messy brain cloud so here's some Poppy Shower Decisions to get the real plot going!! comments are ALWAYS loved, theyre what keep me writing!! <3<3


	4. Beautiful Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QYxuGQMCuU  
> It's a beautiful day, the sun is up, the music's playing!  
> And even if it started raining!  
> You won't hear this boy complaining!  
> 'Cause I'm glad that you're the one that got away!  
> It's a beautiful day!

Branch had been staring at the muffins as they cooled, bored and waiting for Poppy to come out of the shower.  He’d been texting the group chat on and off throughout the morning after the news that Poppy was at his place got out. Everyone was tasteful to not make jokes about Branch and Poppy doing anything dishonest, especially with Poppy being under the influence. They were both better than that, but the thought of Poppy kissing him made his ears turn red. He pushed the thought away. It didn’t count, she thought he was Creek. Speaking of Creek, he had been texting the chat as well, glad to know Poppy was in good hands. Maybe Poppy was right about him after all, he seemed like an okay dude when he wasn’t being a total douche.

**_BAM!!_ **

“WAIT- SHIT, I DIDN’T MEAN FOR THAT TO SLAM OPEN, I WAS JUST TRYING TO BE DRAMATIC-“ Poppy rambled, inspecting the wall for marks where the doorknob hit it. Branch smiled and laughed to himself as she tried to regain her composure.

“Come sit down, cotton candy, the muffins are done,” he grinned, nodding his head towards the blueberry and cranberry filled steaming breakfast foods on the stovetop. Poppy shook her head.

“Muffin time _after_ my royal decree!”

“Since when are you royalty?”

“Since my great great great great uncle Percy Valentine declared his patch of farmland a kingdom and himself the king, now hush!”

“Wait, wh-“

“HUSH!”

He blinked the confusion away, ready for her announcement. She cleared her throat.

“I’m breaking up with creek. Today.”

Branch went wide eyed, and if he had been drinking he was sure the liquid would be all over the muffins. “What?!”

She nodded roughly, her damp hair slapping her face a little and falling into her mouth. Branch blinked in disbelief. “Did-did he do something? Did something happen?”

She sighed and sat down, grabbing a muffin. “No, it’s nothing like that. I just… there’s no _spark_ anymore. The spark’s gone, Branch. He feels like a friend to me, and that’s what he should be if that’s how I feel, right? I-I’ve been forcing myself to pretend it’s okay, like I’m still in love with him but.. I think it was just a crush I acted on too quickly. It- hang on, these muffins came out GREAT,” she took a bite of one, smiling and wiggling a little. “It all feels _wrong_ now and todays a national holiday where you’re supposed to do the things you’ve been telling yourself you should do! So I should break up with Creek.”

She got that Look on her face and rocked onto her toes, biting her lip. “And… I was hoping you could help? I don’t wanna chicken out of this, I know it’s for the best.”

Branch blinked, then he nodded slowly, then quickly, and they got to work, writing and planning.

* * *

 

Poppy sat at the counter of the tiny diner, hair up and out of her eyes and back in her own clothes. She tapped her foot as she waited for Creek. He said he’d be there by 4:00, and it was 3:57. She looked around and hummed, taking a sip of her milkshake, nodding to the music on the radio. The door opened and there he was, in all his tank-top clad glory. When a restaurant said no shirts, he went for the minimal. She smiled and waved him over, already having ordered his usual. He looked a little distressed as he walked over and sat down, smiling with a bit of what could have been concern in his eyes.

“Okay, love, first of all, I am sorry for leaving you last night. I didn’t plan on it but I think the smoke in the air was getting to me and I needed out of there, and Branch was with you and everything turned out alright, right?”

She nodded and smiled in understanding, taking his hands from across the table. “I understand completely, I do. But… That’s not why I brought you here.”

He nodded, gently squeezing her hands. “Alright, sunshine, shoot.”

She took a deep breath and nodded to herself. “I.. When we started dating, what were your feelings for me? Like, in terms of description instead of just an emotion.”

He seemed to ruminate on the thought for a bit before responding, slowly, smiling, “Well, I felt happy around you. You’re wonderful, how could I not? Being around you is wonderful.”

“Is that all? Not that that’s bad!” She laughed awkwardly.

“I mean, of course, there’s always more to feelings but… that’s all, for the most part. What’s this all about, Poppyseed?”

She took a deep breath, going over Branch’s words in her head. “I think we should change the terms of our relationship.”

Creek tilted his head and rubbed her thumbs with his, gently and lovingly. “How do you mean?”

Poppy cleared her throat. Now or never! “W-well… I thought- I thought when we first started dating, that I was in love with you. And I do love you! You’re so kind and strong and smart, and you mean the world to me. But.. I think what I feel falls closer to ‘strong friendship’ than ‘romantic relationship’ now. And I feel like maybe it’s the same for you? B-but if it’s not, we can find a way to work things out between us as a couple! And if it is, we can go back to being friends and not have to change anything about our relationship at all. It’s your call. But at the same time I feel like maybe our friends pushed us into dating when we weren't ready for it yet and- yeah. Your call.”

Creek was slowly nodding along as she spoke, calming her with his gentle holding of her hands. He looked away and chuckled breathlessly when she finished. “Poppy… You’re incredible.”

“Huh?”

He pulled her hands closer to his slightly. “You managed to put what I’ve been feeling for… months! Into words. I love you! I’d love to go back to being friends.”

Her face lit up and she reached across the table to hug him, knocking her milkshake over in the process. She squeaked and they laughed together, finally able to relax in each other’s company without the disguise of false romance hanging over them like a fog. She snorted and tried to wipe the pink fluff off of her dress, Creek cleaning off the table.

“So who’s gonna tell the snack pack?” asked Poppy, still laughing.

“We both can, after lunch. I’ll pay.” He grinned, running a hand through his messy teal hair. Poppy shook her head. “No, no, I already ordered your avocado salad! I’m paying!”

“Even if we’re not dating, we still bicker like an old married couple.”

“God, we _do_ , don’t we? It’s no wonder the others kept pushing us to go out,” Poppy smiled as the food was brought over, thanking the waitress and digging in happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof two chapters tonight!! i'm gonna be camping this weekend so sadly i wont be able to work on this, but i hope the plot getting started will make up for that!!


	5. Nights Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://youtu.be/CbN2AQEDUtY  
> And nights like this we own,  
> And you will never be alone  
> Me and my friends growin' tall  
> We make big cities small  
> Yeah, we make big cities small!  
> And we leave no one behind!

Poppy and Creek talked for hours, bickering back and forth. The subject never stayed the same for long, going between how he dyed his hair to how Guy Diamond dyed his hair, to how Guy Diamond buys his glitter supply.

“My theory,” Creek said between laughs, “is that he mines it all from a secret glitter cave in New Mexico.”

“Okay,” Poppy had interjected, “but what if he just naturally secretes it. Like its sweat.”

They didn’t realize how much time had passed until Poppy checked her phone and realized Branch had texted her an hour ago asking how it went, followed by him asking if he needed to intervene, along with a fist and an explosion emoji. She smiled to herself and Creek leaned across the table, giving her a look like he just asked if she wants a sip of his capri-sun and then handed her an empty pouch. She paused in her message back. “What’s that _look_ for?”

He looked off behind her and leaned back, stealing one of her fries. “Who might you be texting?”

“Branch. Why ask?”

Creek kept that look on his face, much to Poppy’s bewilderment. She’d worry about it later.

They talked for hours, deciding that Poppy could tell everyone at the sleepover that weekend. She greatly looked forward to it.

 

* * *

 

 

Branch was relieved to hear that everything had gone according to plan. Well, relieved was a massive understatement, but that isn’t the point. Once Poppy had gotten back to her house she texted the group chat letting everyone know she was home.  Branch considered asking when they were going to tell the group that the two were no longer a couple, but he figured it would be best to let them decide it between each other and keep quiet about it on his end until she gave the signal.

The next day, he spent wandering around in the woods. It helped him clear his head, and, bot did he have a lot of murky things in there. He sat on the base of a tree, looking up at the beautiful November sky, and he began to write.

_Dear diary,_

_Poppy and Creek broke up. Poppy kissed me. She thinks I’m a better kisser than her ~~boyfriend~~ ex-boyfriend. She’s single and thinks I’m a good kisser. I accidentally gave my first kiss away to a drunken angel who doesn’t even see me romantically and I don’t even have the heart to feel upset about it. I should be mad at myself about this, right? I didn’t stop her when she kissed me. She was drunk. Creek was her boyfriend. I’m a rebound guy. No, that’s for people who just broke up, she wasn’t single. I was- whats the opposite of rebound? Inertia? I’m a byproduct of her emotional inertia. She doesn’t want to kiss me, never have never will. I really need to remember that. I really need to stop thinking about it ~~. I wish she would kiss me. She was so warm and sweet and she was wonderful a~~ shut up! SHUT UP! She doesn’t love you she wont ever love you, not the way you love her. ~~You’re a monster. She cares about you more than anyone on earth and you just want to be selfish! You’re not her world!~~ She deserves better than me. Writing this was supposed to make me feel better but I guess not. Sorry._

_XX B_

* * *

 

 

A few days passed and not much happened, until Poppy invited everyone to a sleepover at her house. Poppy did stuff like this often, seeming to live in a state of childlike wonder. Branch was shocked she held down a stable job, but once he found out that she worked at a craft store, he wasn’t too surprised.

He had managed to convince Satin and Chenille to pick him up on the way over to Poppy’s house, through a surprisingly minimal amount of persuading. He packed his stuff, (a change of clothes, his notebook, some pens, an extra change of clothes, a blanket) and waited on his porch for the pair, happy to be included. It had been a while since the whole of the snack pack got to hang out together, and the minute Poppy invited him, promising him it wasn’t a party and would be quiet and chill, he agreed to show.

He was pulled from his thoughts by rapid honking, startling him out of his trance. Satin and Chenille sat parked in their silver convertible in his driveway, Guy Diamond sitting in the back. The trio had matching pink heart-shaped sunglasses on, staring at him and smiling, waving happily. “C’mon, Branch, we’re waiting!”

“Beep be _eee_ ep!”

“Get in, nerd!”

Branch laughed to himself and got up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and heading over to their silver-grey convertible, glad he can hear former insults as terms of endearment now.

He climbed into the car and the trip stared him down, and he felt exposed. He really loved the twins, and he really loved Guy Diamond. But, they intimidated him just a little. Even still, he grinned alongside them as they passed him a matching pair of heart-shaped sunglasses. “Poppy’s orders,” Suki had explained.

 Satin and Chenille ran a little boutique down in the main part of town, and Guy Diamond worked in the local Claire’s. Troll Village was a pretty little neighborhood with a sort of otherworldly/Victorian vibe to it, with old fashioned designs on the houses but the paint done up in a rainbow of colors. Every house was a different color and every building seemed to be cast in a perpetual dreamlike haze, every inch of it bathed in technicolor light. It was a tourist spot, a road trip spot.

They rolled through the center of town with the radio blasting old era Kesha music and the girls’ hair blowing in the wind. They sang along without caring who heard their voices and Branch nodded to the beat, unable to hide his smile for the first time in a long time. They pulled into Poppy’s cotton candy pink house.

Biggie, Creek, and Suki were already there, sitting on the porch and chatting amongst themselves. When the car pulled up, Poppy gasped and bolted over to them, jumping over the small fence around her front porch and hugging everyone. Branch loved her hugs now that he wasn’t scared of them, taking in her warm embrace while he could. She smelled sweet, but faintly like burnt food- as always. He loved it.

Poppy dragged them all inside, soft instrumental electronic music that sounded like something from a SEGA game rolled from her TV and there were all sorts of things hung up all around the multicolored walls. Well, he assumed they were multicolored, seeing as the tons of party banners, polaroid photos, and motivational posters that were hung around almost everywhere seemed to block everything. _Very Poppy._

They all laid out their pillows and blankets, shoving the couch and coffee table over to the back of the room. Branch got a spot between Poppy and Satin, thankful that he wasn’t in the middle of the room. They had a rule about being in a circle, though. Suki was on the other side of Poppy, then Creek, Guy Diamond, Biggie, Chenille, and later Smidge and Cooper, who showed up just after them with cherry 7UP and 4 gallons of rainbow sherbet ice cream. Yummy.

They baked together, first, Branch happy for the first time since he and Poppy last baked together. He had assumed coming into this that they’d be ignoring him, avoiding him, but he felt…

Branch felt safe.

 

 


	6. This is Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is slowly tracing his face  
> But strangely he feels at home in this place  
> https://cavetown.bandcamp.com/track/this-is-home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter came at a perfectly reasonable time.. it didnt take several months what do you mean

“Okay, okay uhh… Never have I ever, spin the bottle, or truth or dare?”

The partygoers looked amongst themselves. Poppy spoke up. “No drinking if we play never have I ever, I don’t want to make it _that_ kind of party. I’ve had enough to drink for this month.”

Branch nodded quickly. “I’m good with truth or dare.”

Everyone else nodded in agreement, thankfully. Really, he just didn’t want to have to kiss anyone. Among the snack pack, in his experience, kissing and hugging each other even when they weren’t dating was a common thing. He only had to mention that he wasn’t too into pda once for them to write an unspoken rule to stick to pats on the back and occasional side-hugs for him, which was a godsend.

They all cuddled closer together just a little and Branch leaned his head on Poppy’s shoulder a little. She wrapped an arm around him and he immediately felt like he was glowing inside, as if he had been drinking, when he absolutely hadn’t. He hated drinking, and only did it when he felt awful. He was a spacy drunk and was told by others that he would spend hours staring at a wall in a trance when he drank.

He loved the feeling of being in her arms, though, like she was overflowing with warm sunshine and it was being poured generously into him from every contact point. He nuzzled closer to her and she let out a half laugh – half sigh and pulled him closer. Suki was laying on her stomach with her head resting on Poppy’s thigh. The game had started.

Guy had chosen dare, and Biggie had dared him to chug a can of Mountain Dew by biting into the side of it and drinking from the bitemark. They all went into the back yard to cheer him on and he did it successfully, much to the pride and amusement of his friends.

They returned to their places and Guy turned to Poppy. “Truth or dare?”

She grinned as the people on either side of her looked up at her, both of them leaning on her.

Poppy wiggled a little and nuzzled the top of Branch’s head. “Truth cuz I think if I moved again these two might kill me.”

“Smart choice,” Suki said, holding her closer while Poppy smiled wider. Guy smirked.

“Since Creek told us you two broke up,” (Branch nodded, it must have happened in the group chat when he wasn’t looking), “is there anyone else you’re interested in?”

Poppy thought to herself. “I mean, I don’t wanna rush stuff because we JUST broke up and that wouldn’t be fair,” she nodded towards Creek and he put a hand over his heart and smiled, “but….”

She bit her lip and blushed a bit and Branch looked at her with great interest.

“Yeah, I do have my eye on someone.”

Everyone gasped and leaned forward curiously. She smirked and looked at the window to avoid eye contact. “Branch.”

They all gasped again and her cheeks went red as she felt him stiffen in her arms, breathing shallow. “N- Guys! That was- truth or dare, Branch, truth or dare!”

There was a collective series of noises, some disbelieving and some disappointed, much to both of their embarrassment. Branch quickly spat out a ‘truth’ and hid his face.

Poppy thought for a while, absentmindedly holding her hand in his hair, gripping and releasing the curly mess. She hummed and he leaned into her touch. “Same question, since, y’know, sleepover law dictates crushes are a required discussion topic. Who, if anyone, are you interested in?”

He stiffened. “Dare, actually, I choose dare.”

Everyone protested and Poppy smirked. “Too late! Tis law!”

He shook his head. “I-“

Creek cleared his throat and everyone turned his way. He looked around the group like a judge addressing his court as he spoke. “If he’s not ready to talk about it, it may be because he isn’t ready for a relationship yet and he doesn’t want to make it awkward with the person! Let’s be kind about this, shall we?” He waved his hand dismissively. Everyone nodded and Branch sighed in relief, making a note that he owed Creek for that. (Huh, he owed _Creek_. That’s a new one.)

Poppy nodded along and ruffled his hair and he growled, looking up at her. “Well, actually, now I don’t know, considering how mean you all are being.”

She squished his cheeks together with her palms, whining. He groaned loudly, and she matched his pitch with the same noise, until he barked out a hasty, “FINE, I like someone but I don’t wanna say who because its embarrassing. Happy?”

They all nodded and Poppy kissed the top of his head (she did that often, to all her friends, but he still felt a little dizzy).

The game continued for a while, with the only other important events being that Guy Diamond was dared to dye his hair again, and was now sitting with Satin and Chenille on either side of him, putting every color of dye Poppy owned (14, and she only had two jars of pink!) into his hair to get a messy rainbow effect. He planned to bleach it after to give it a holographic kind of look for the next month or so. He dyed his hair at least twice a month, usually more.

By this point everyone had abandoned their sleeping spots in favor of a massive cuddle pile on the middle of the floor, with Poppy using Branch’s stomach as a pillow, drawing little patterns on the fabric of his shirt with her fingers, tracing the line of fabric left by his binder as well. He had his hand stuck wrist deep into her curly hair, eyelids heavy and heart warm.

The Snack Pack worked differently than he thought. He had figured, back when he was alone and afraid of them, that they always gossiped and talked trash about everyone and threw wild raves every night.

Gossiping was actually against their policies as a club. Rule 1 of the Snack Pack, if you wouldn’t want it said about you, don’t say it about someone else. Rule 2, much to his relief, was to always check with who it’s affecting before doing something. Even surprise parties weren’t allowed to be overdone, that way the person the party was for would be able to leave guilt free if they couldn’t stay.

They were also very… touchy. With each other. If anyone outside of them saw the way they handled each other, the first assumption would be that they were dating, but in reality, it was an unspoken sort of agreement that they all needed this. Branch hadn’t realized that physical contact with other people was something you would get sick without until he started getting it regularly again. It makes a real difference, all the casual touching and hugging and close contact. It was one of the major things that brought him out of his depression while it was happening.

Well.

That and Poppy.

It was about a year ago, back when half the town had almost gotten bought out by that corporation and the group of them had done everything in their power to get the blight that was Bergenco out of Troll Village as fast as possible, lest their families lose all of their jobs and housing. The last trace of the company that remained in the little town was the little restaurant complex by the lake, where Creek worked.

Creek, he was the one to suggest buying the restaurant he worked in. They all were furious with him, that he had given up part of their lives- part of their _world_ for his own selfish gain. It took months for them to forgive him.

There didn’t seem like much that could have been done at the time, though, at least from Branch’s point of view. But Poppy had proved him wrong, as always. She had decided to try and throw this big charity event, a massive karaoke/dance party in the middle of town, blocking the roads for Bergenco’s trucks.

Nobody would dance at first. Everyone just stared at her like she was crazy, and Branch felt his heart snap in two at the look on her face. So he threw all common sense aside and went up there, singing for the world to hear for the first time since he was a child.

And against all odds, he felt alive. Poppy held him in her arms and spun him around the stage as a crowd formed and began cheering, and the trucks couldn’t do anything about it because there were no alternate paths, they had _won._

Something snapped in him and he felt so free and secure and wow, if this was what it felt like to be with her and to sing and to dance, where had he been all these years locking himself in his treehouse and writing emo poetry alone? His voice wasn’t cracking, it wasn’t too high or too broken, he sounded _good_ and he was _happy_!

And he smiled, and she smiled, and things were fantastic. He was accepted into their group with open arms once Poppy explained the situation.

He was happy, for the first time in years. The world seemed to be in technicolor once again, and he started getting invited to just hang out with them instead of only getting invites to parties he wasn’t emotionally ready to attend.

It was so nice, to finally belong somewhere. Even after a few months, when he started talking about his past and the situation he was in, with his parents dying, leaving him with his grandma, who died in a car accident that he blamed himself for (he had been singing so loud, he had distracted her, but Poppy and Smidge and Suki had held him so close and promised it wasn’t his fault, over and over, and he was starting to believe them). They helped him get a good therapist and psychiatrist; they even helped him get on HRT! The Snack Pack was the family he had needed all those years.

He was home, finally, with Poppy in his arms and his head resting on Biggie’s thigh, a weird domino effect of cuddling going on. Most of them were already asleep, with Suki and Chenille chatting quietly in the kitchen about Chenille’s new dress line she was working on.

There was a pleasant hum in the air as he closed his eyes and let sleep wash over him like a tidal wave.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i dunno if anyone caught it, but yes, Branch is a trans boy in this verse. I'll cover more on it later but Smidge is a trans girl and Poppy and Cooper are both nb as well.  
> my tumblr is https://colacharm.tumblr.com if you wanna talk to me about my au personally! (PLEASE DO! talking about it motivates me to write more so next time i wont take two F***ING MONTHS TO UPDATE)


	7. Can't Get Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ooh I wanna keep a hold on my heart  
> Ooh falling in and out of love  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGumco7EIXI

__

 

_Dark. Everything was dark, and warm. She was underwater, she realized, and she somehow wasn’t drowning. She unquestioningly accepted that information as a solid fact and took a deep breath in through her mouth, feeling the ice cold liquid filling her lungs, letting her take the world in through her body. She opened her eyes, and she could see herself as if she was in a movie, from a few feet away and up. There was a distant rushing sound. Pinpricks of light surrounded her like stars but seemed to be actual orbs of light in a grid around her. She blinked and they flickered._

_She turned, blinking as something moved towards her. Something she couldn’t identify. It pushed its way into her arms and through her body like an arrow. Fiery warmth spread through her and the water started draining, rapidly, leaving her suspended in air, lungs still full and boiling, until-_

Snap.

Poppy woke up in a daze, unaware of her location. It took a few breaths to realize that her face and body curled around another face and body. She cuddled closer to it, taking a deep breath through her nose to confirm, yeah, that’s Branch. Gross.

Not that Branch is gross or anything. He just never showers, like, ever, and he reeks constantly. She can feel under her forearm that he slept in his binder again, and he’s gonna be in trouble with her for that once he wakes up. But his leg was over her hip, his arms around her chest and his hair was so fluffy and it was all so comfortable.. She pressed her cheek against his and nuzzled his face, taking in the secure feeling she had in his arms.

She palmed around the ground and grabbed her phone, checking it through his hair. There suddenly was a hand in her own hair and she looked up to Suki’s smiling freckled cheeks and her beautiful brown eyes. “Mornin’ sundrop.”

“Mornin’ dj..” she smiled and leaned into her touch.

“I’m gonna make breakfast for everyone, you have eggs?”

Poppy nodded and yawned. “Branch- he likes his scrambled with cheese,” she recalled how he made his eggs when she slept over at his place. “Cheese is in the bottom drawer of the fridge. Bacon’s in the freezer door..”

Suki leaned down and kissed her cheek, heading into the kitchen to get cooking and leaving Poppy glowing with happiness. She continued checking her phone, noticing that Smidge was awake too. Biggie, Satin, and Guy Diamond were cuddling as well, and Poppy grinned, straining to get a good picture without waking Branch up by accident. The light just looked so beautiful in Guy Diamond’s new hairdo!

Somehow Branch just clung onto her tighter and cuddled into her as close as he could get, pressing his entire face to her neck and making her cheeks heat up. She continued trying her darndest to get a good picture of her friends, finally getting a good one and fist pumping as she went back to scrolling through ifunny and quietly showing Smidge cute stuff she found as the rest of her friends awoke.

After a while, the arms wrapped around her torso tightened and Branch stretched, nuzzling her stomach. She laughed and put her phone down, fluffing his hair. “Goooood morning!”

“Nooo…. Sleep…..” He hid his face and groaned. She groaned louder.

“You’ve been laying here for HOUUURRRSSSS!”

“It’s called _sleeping_!”

“I want _breakfast_!”

They argued back and forth for a while until Branch agreed to get food with her, the two of them sitting with Smidge and Creek at the table. Everyone else had already gone home, save for Suki, who was still cooking. Poppy loved this part of sleepovers, everyone all together and happy just to be there. It was like they were a big happy family. She loved it.

They sat in silence, sleepy and safe, as Suki brought over their plates. Her music was playing through her headphones loud enough to hear the buzzy wavy electronic sound of some bubbly electro/instrumental music. Poppy nodded her head to the beat.

“What song’s that?”

“Uhh…” She checked her phone. “Can’t get enough by…. Basenji. Some indie thing, found it on a movie soundtrack.”

Poppy nodded and smiled. “I like it.”

They continued with their morning, Creek brushing his long hair out and letting Smidge put it into tight braids so it would be wavy when he undid them. Poppy made Branch try to eat nutella with a spoon and he complained the entire time, despite sneaking bites when she wasn’t looking. Suki and Smidge regarded the scene fondly, Suki draping her arms around Smidge and resting her face in the shorter girl’s hair.

“So do you guys have plans for today,” Poppy asked between bites of egg. “Because the zoo is having half off season passes today.”

They all nodded. Branch shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “Sounds good to me, if you’re paying.”

She gasped dramatically. “Of course! What do you take me for?”

He shrugged. He had this look on his face, like he was overthinking something. Poppy squinted and stood up as she reached over and put her hands on his cheeks, squishing them together. He sighed. “What are you doing.”

“Say you’re a grumpy fish.”

“No.”

“Say it and I’ll buy you soft pretzels!”

“Fine. I’m a grumpy fish.”

Suki, Smidge, and Creek were laughing together at the display, and Branch laughed with them. Poppy smiled triumphantly as she patted his cheeks and sat back down. Branch was blushing, looking away.

Creek blinked, examining the two of them behind his distant, analytical eyes. He blinked and went back to eating, plotting to himself.


	8. Popular

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was on the lookout for someone to hate  
> Picking on me like a dinner plate  
> I hid during classes, and in between them  
> Dunk me in the toilet now its you that cleans 'em  
> You tryin' to make me feel bad with the shit you do  
> It ain’t so funny when the joke’s on you!

The zoo was about 45 minutes away from Poppy’s house, and since everyone else had stuff to do, the quintet of friends (whom Poppy had deemed the Breakfast Club 2: Electric Boogaloo, much to Branch’s protests) headed out in her garishly pink mini-cooper singing dramatically bad versions of synth heavy 80s pop songs that they only knew some of the words to.

  
The music was still playing when they pulled up in the parking lot and they sat through the rest of the song, stretching and getting their stuff together. They all carried backpacks instead of purses or stuffing their pockets after Satin and Chenille had gotten their hands on a sturdy backpack outline and some cool fabrics and zippers. Branch’s had extra pockets sewn into it, with mismatched buttons and patches all over it. Poppy’s was in bisexual pride colors, with blue buttons, purple straps and a pink body.

  
Smidge sat on the ground and popped the wheels into the bottoms of her shoes, making Branch groan. “That’s a safety hazard, you’re gonna hit your head again!” She rolled her eyes with a scoff, pulling a helmet with a unicorn horn sticking out of the middle from her bag and making a big show of putting it on. Branch gave her a solemn thumbs up and she returned it, nodding.

  
“I brought sandwiches for everyone, so if you’re hungry, that’s the first choice. Food here is craaaazy expensive,” Poppy said, rambling as she pulled her hair back into a neat ponytail. Her fuschia bangs framed her face perfectly. Nobody knew how she could pull off wearing white denim without getting it dirty, ever, but she had white shorts and a white jean vest on, completely spotless. She could wear anything and still look good in it.

  
Creek and Suki climbed out as well, stretching. Creek dropped into a backbend, earning a quiet ‘showoff’ from Branch as he kicked back upright. The others clapped and he bowed. They all collected their things and headed inside, Poppy paying for their season passes. Being the daughter of a ridiculously wealthy man has its perks, and that includes spoiling your friends.

  
The second they entered the zoo, Poppy trailed to a stop, bouncing excitedly as she read over the map. “We could see the pandas first- ooh! Or the elephants! OOH THIS IS SO EXCITING! Wait, wait- where do you guys wanna go?”

  
She turned around to face her group, noticing that Smidge and Creek were whispering back and forth, but they stopped the moment after she turned, pretending that nothing happened. Poppy shrugged and took Branch’s hand in her own, lacing their fingers together. She looked at his face as he squinted at the map, the gears turning in his mind almost visibly. She squeezed his hand and he looked up, cheeks warming. “I- uh.. If- if- there’s a sea lion show in ten minutes, we- we can go plan our route there while we watch the show?”

  
Poppy grinned and picked him up in a big hug, sweeping his feet right off of the ground as he held the map out away from his body. “Stop, stop, Poppy, the map’s gonna get wrinkled! These cost money!”

  
She gently set him down, keeping her hand laced into his, warm and soft. He dusted himself off with his free hand and shot her an accusing glance, making her laugh.

  
Smidge watched the exchange carefully. She hadn’t seen Branch glitch out like that since before they ‘adopted’ him. She looked up at Creek, who was looking at her and smirking. She rolled her eyes and got her phone out, texting him.

 **  
**Creek: See!  
**Smidge:** poppy doesnt feel the same yet tho we have to wait til she shows signs…. duh  
**Creek:** Ugh. Fine.

  
Poppy nearly lost her mind when the sea lion show started. She was cheering and jumping,  standing right against the edge of the pool, eyes sparkling. Branch went over the map, tracing outlines of possible routes with his fingertip. Creek sat on the bench, glancing over at Branch occasionally.  
  
  
“So…”

   
Branch froze, not looking over. “What is it, Creep?”

   
“Now, is that any way to talk to an old friend?”

   
Branch sighed deeply and lowered the map. “What do you want?”

   
Creek scooted closer and wrapped his arm around Branch’s shoulders. Branch seethed.

  
“I think the question here is what _you_ want, Branch,” he purred, pulling Branch closer.

   
“I need you to remain at least 10 feet away from me at all times.” Branch pushed him away and stood up, continuing to make eye contact as he moved to sit on the opposite end of the bench and went back to reading the map as he pointedly ignored Creek’s smirk.

   
“Suit yourself, love. Guess you don’t need my help with Poppy after all.”

   
Branch flinched. He slowly turned to face Creek, who scooted all the way along the bench to sit right next to him again. Branch took a deep breath and let out a long, exasperated sigh. “Why do you assume I need your help with her?”

   
“Because I had what you want, and I didn’t even want it.”  
  
  
“What the hell are you walking about?”

   
“Come on, Branch, you don’t really think I saw Poppy as a romantic interest, do you?”

   
Branch sputtered, cheeks burning. “Then why would you date her? You knew it would hurt her!”

   
Creek shrugged, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. “Well, I regret it now, but at the time I thought it would be easier to get her on my side. If we were dating, she would have to formally break up with me in order to leave me. Knowing Poppy and her inability to disappoint her friends… it seemed like the easiest course of action. “

   
Branch felt like there were hot coals in his stomach and ice in his head. “So you just wanted to manipulate her? You used her for your own personal gain?”

   
“That’s the way the world works, Branch. Life is cruel. I figured you of all people would know that.”

   
Branch looked at him closely, seething with rage. How could he say something like that? How could he do something like that to Poppy? To anyone? Was he really that selfish? Branch took a deep breath and looked back at the map.

   
“No. I don’t know that, actually. I have friends who love me, and I don’t need to take advice from people who are so rotten inside that they’d hurt one of the few good people in their life for a petty goal. Now, do me a favor, and fuck off.”

   
Branch stood up, walking over to Smidge and sitting down next to her, showing her the routes he planned on taking. Creek sat there for a while before he nodded to himself and checked his phone.

 **Creek:** Your turn. I'm done with him.  
**Smidge:** oooh that bad huh? lmao  
**Creek:** Shut up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WAVES HYPNOSIS CHAIN* IT DIDNT TAKE 2 MONTHS FOR THIS UPDATE... SHHHHH  
> comments are always appreciated!! <3<3

**Author's Note:**

> my tumblr: https://colacharm.tumblr.com  
> hit me up on there!! <3


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